The Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel affair story is the one that just won’t go away.
We are now over a month since Page Six first shared photos of the pair at an Arizona resort, which kicked off accusations of an affair.
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Since then, we’ve seen more photos come to light of the pair kissing in 2020, hanging out at a casino in 2024, and now even going on a boat trip while Russini was pregnant with her husband’s child in 2021.
The controversy was even a hot-button issue before and during the 2026 NFL Draft, when the New England Patriots head coach took questions from reporters and admitted his wrongdoing and plans to go to counseling on Day 3 of the three-day event.
In a day and age when news has a short lifespan, Russini’s and Vrabel’s controversy isn’t going anywhere.
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Max Kellerman disgusted with Dianna Russini coverage
Feb 7, 2022; Westlake Village, CA, USA; ESPN reporter Dianna Russini at Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Opening Night at Oaks Christian High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
One person who is sick of it all is Russini’s former ESPN colleague, Max Kellerman, who noted how disgusted he is with the coverage of the whole thing.
“It’s so disgusting to me,” Kellerman said. “Without regard to how to this affects their spouses, their children, (the media is) putting these families through hell, under the guise of journalistic integrity and ethics, where in fact that is just an excuse to put out salacious stuff. And shame on the media for covering it the way they are.”
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Welcome to 2026, Max
Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The fact that a media personality like Max Kellerman is surprised at the way the media is covering this story is, well, surprising.
The aspect of Russini’s journalistic integrity being ruined is just one interesting part of this.
After all, she was a mid-level NFL insider for years for two major outlets and is now slated to never work in the industry again in that capacity because she has completely ruined her credibility as an NFL reporter.
Then, we have the affair aspect.
Sex and controversy sell and this has both of those things wrapped into one, and with clear evidence.
There is no way the media is going to avoid any crumb of this story until people lose interest and it doesn’t appear that has happened yet.
That is no doubt an unfortunate reality for Jen Vrabel and Kevin Goldschmidt, the Shake Shack executive who is married to Russini.
But the people to blame the most are Russini and Vrabel, who got themselves and their loved ones into this mess in the first place. That’s who Kellerman should really be mad at.